Defra maintains a wealth of Rural Evidence for policy makers — the people on the ground who are delivering rural strategy — and anyone else with an interest in rural economies and communities.

To produce its rural statistics, Defra takes data from across Government and from other sources and applies a rural definition to show the differences between different types of rural and urban areas.

On these pages you can find:

• What do we mean by ‘rural’?
• Statistics for local areas
• Statistics about living in rural areas
• Statistics about the rural economy
• Statistics about the English Uplands
• Publications

The Statistical Digest of Rural England is a collection of statistics on a range of social and economic policy areas.  The January 2013 publication includes updates on:

• Economic indicators (productivity, GVA, employment and economic activity, investment, skills, enterprise and business demography)
• Indicators for living in rural areas (poverty and fuel poverty)

The Quarterly Economic Bulletin is a collection of statistics that look at the  state of the economy. The next update will be published in March, 2013.

You can email Defra’s Rural Statistics Unit or telephone us on 01904 455251.